35:16.15N 55:12.37W

Slightly more difficult day sailing today as the wind has come round to our stern so we are forced to sail 20 degrees off course southwards so as to avoid any nasty jibes and sail clattering back and forth. The wind itself has weakened and now blowing 15 knots so after much deliberation we decided to launch the trade wind sail that is still stuck at the top of the mast. It was relatively easy to unfurl so here’s hoping it’s as easy to refurl safety.

Highlight of the day was catching a Bonito for our tea which after 12 fruitless days fishing was very welcome and restored our faith in our fishing abilities. We dropped the transom and hoisted it up on there to dispatch it at which stage it managed to dislodge the hook and was frantically trashing around trying to get away. Reminiscent of a scene from a six nations match I dived across the deck to grab it’s tail whilst Michel went to fetch a knife. It was very difficult to hang on to as it was determined not to be on our plates later but eventually, I managed a knife straight through the gills and as I’m chef tonight it falls to me to add butter, olive oil and a little lemon.

The other milestone was that we are now less that 1,000 miles from the Azores, not quite half way but very close as it’s 1,800 miles halfway is 900 miles which we will achieve around midday tomorrow.

The weather reports continue to be all over the place and advice very contradictory so in the absence of anything better I have decided to steer a straight line until something immediate and obvious pops up on the weather charts.

ETA Horta probably late Monday or early Tuesday meanwhile the routine of watches continues, we have experienced our fair share of rain mostly on my watches! As Mark reminds me the sun shines on the righteous...clearly not me!